Breaking a Barrier

A few posts earlier I complained about my hangup with regard to a “blank Page”.  I tried to draw some prissy little flowers when I was in Edmonton but basically was beaten up by the blankness.   This changed today.

I have been having some problems with the provincial bureaucracy.  They have screwed up my file three times in 4 months.  The in the latest idiocy they decided I had left the province, even though they knew, acknowledged that I had only gone to look after my mother for 6 weeks.  In late June I reported that i was back – By actually going into the office and handing them a letter which included a copy of the letter as to why I was going, handed it to them physically, was identified as who I was, showed them that my body was in the province and in their office.  Then I waited, no cheque, I called “10 business days”,  called again “But you didn’t give them the plane tickets like they requested, oh they didn’t contact you?”, no they didn’t nor did anyone tell me I needed to present those too, after all my body was there in the office, how did they think it got there?

So I felt totally fried and frantic this morning and sat there in journaled and got more and more angry.  I needed to express myself and fabric would take too long.  So I dug out some pastels I had bought a few years ago, some charcoal, and dug out my easel and paper.  I had a photo of a male from an add that I used as a start and just ripped into it.  I don’t think I have ever used pastels quite like this.

Ode to a government worker

I feel much better now.  Most of my anxiety is gone.

Now I just have to figure out what to do with the thing.

 

 

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Back Home Again – 2

I am back from Toronto. When did I stop doing impromptu trips like that? Yes it was stressful (the universe offered me an opportunity to showcase my art and promptly took away all financing) Not much went according to plan but I had FUN!!!
The bus trip went of with an exciting bang, first I missed the Berri-QUAM stop, rush to get to the right station, and then when everyone was on board this street guy climbed

on the bus and refused to get off, a great show was made by security and he eventually left the bus quietly. So the whole adventure started late…. The bus was comfortable and had WiFi but my stomach doesn’t do WiFi on a bus so I had 6 hours of staring at scenery.

View from inside gallery

Once in TO I headed for the gallery to assemble and set up the dolls and find they had under estimated the time it took to move the gallery and they weren’t ready for me so I had to stay at least until the next day, no sneaking back to Montreal.

I had a lovely stay with my cousin and her family. It was a great opportunity to talk with someone who had gone through similar family health issues. Besides that they have a

Gallery window

lovely home and fed me very well for which I am very grateful. I decided to stay for the reception after all which made them happy because it gave Helen and Isaac an excuse not to go away for the weekend.
On Saturday Helen went with me to the reception at the art gallery. I bless her for that as I am not at my best with groups of people unless I am officially in charge like being a teacher or speaker. It was hot but I game fully chatted with people about my work, my inspiration, and the techniques. When it was over I was ready to faint from the heat and stress but Helen dragged me to a little AIR CONDITIONED bistro and we had cold drinks and lovely little cakes until I was coherent again.

So I am back in Montreal and recovered. I am still trying to straighten out the financial mess but my website is back up again. That was a real pain – a show and no website! I have added a page for the mermaid and one for the Wild, Sacred Twins.
Now to get back into the swing of creating. I moved things around in the studio again. Yes Again. I am making space to move around, creating little dedicated areas. My computer work space is now isolated in the corner and not invading my artist space which I found very irritating. Organization and cleaning means I have more open space which makes it easier for me to focus and create. It also means the cat won’t try to take over the work space, scattering beads everywhere.

When I was in Whitehorse I picked up some fabric for skin at Bear Paw quilts – funny that I went so far from Montreal to find quilt fabric but though this city has great fabric stores they don’t have anything quite like Bear Paw Quilts.  The fabric is delightful and a little different from my usual colour scheme, I can almost but not quite see the doll it wants to be.

Mermaid: Breaking Free

I managed to finish (or tell myself it was Finished!) the mermaid in time for the Ben Navaee gallery show.  There are always a thousand other things I can think of doing to a piece when I have to tear myself away from it.

This piece was about letting go of the past and the things that have been holding me back.  She is a result of the Morning Pages of “The Artist Way”, writing about the things that were making me feel trapped.

mermaid- breaking free

 

And some close ups:

mermaid back

 

front closeup

Gallery show in Toronto

My dolls will be part of a show at a gallery in Toronto.  They will be at Ben Navaee gallery  in the “Women’s Art Exhibition”  From july 7th to the  22nd.

I have been working hard to get the mermaid: Breaking Free   finished for it.  She is looking really good.  I only have to finish the net for her to Break Free!!!!